Category: Treats

Fresh White Summer Sangria

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A few weeks ago, I went up to my friend Lisa’s apartment to have drinks on her deck. We originally talked about doing margarita’s, but decided to skip those in favor of something a little healthier. Enter: sangria! Although some sangrias can be filled with too much sugar, this one doesn’t have any added sugar and is naturally sweetened by the fruit, brandy and white wine.

It’s also a very simple, minimal ingredient sangria because, well, I just wanted to throw something together quickly and easily. Feel free to sub out the wine for something you prefer more and pick fruit according to what you have or what’s on sale. The beauty of sangria is that there are endless possibilities for what you can put in it!
Fresh White Summer Sangria

Ingredients

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  • 1 bottle of white wine- I suggest a sweeter wine like a Riesling or Pinot Grigio
  • 1 or 2 nips of Brandy- I only used one, but using 2 might make it sweeter if that’s what you’re looking for
  • 1/2 large orange, sliced
  • 1/2 lemon, sliced
  • 1/2 lime, sliced
  • 1/2-1 cup strawberry seltzer water- feel free to use whatever flavor you want, but I had this and thought it was a great addition

Directions

Pour the wine and brandy in a container, add in the sliced fruit and half of the seltzer you plan to use. Stir and refrigerate for a few hours so the fruit juices can settle in. Before serving, add in the rest of the seltzer to give it a bit of fizz. Serve over ice and enjoy!

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We all loved this sangria and I think what made me love it was that it wasn’t TOO sweet. Sometimes I feel like sangria’s are all juice and, as a wine lover, i’m always a little disappointed when that’s the case. I want to taste the wine and this sangria accomplished that.

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I realize it’s September, but the weather is still great for outdoor cocktail hours so there’s still plenty of time to hang onto summer drinks with this recipe!

Questions for you: Do you like white or red sangria? Have you ever made sangria?

 

Weekending: Barry’s Bootcamp Roof Deck Workout & A Maine Visit

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Good morning! I hope today’s off to a great start for all of you. The weather is supposed to be perfect all week, so for all of you who may be vacationing, I’m jealous! I was also very jealous listening to my mom and her friends plan out their week: beach day, pool day, lake day, baseball game. Retirement/summer vacation seems pretty awesome!

Last weekend was a blast! It was nice to have a night in Boston, but even nicer to escape the city for a night and head up to Maine.

Friday

My gym friend, Jen, somehow found out about a bootcamp that Barry’s Bootcamp was offering on the roof deck of the Revere Hotel and when I found out it was on a night I could go, I jumped at the chance! It was $20 which included the 60 minute workout and a cocktail… can’t really go wrong with that 😉

photo 3I wasn’t sure what to expect for the workout, but I was expecting hard since the last time I went to Barry’s I died a little. Mostly because of the treadmill runs, but still, it was tough! I knew there wouldn’t be treadmills for this workout, but I was expecting a lot of burpees and other cardio exercises, which sadly, we didn’t do!

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All in all, though, the workout was pretty tough! We just used resistant bands and our body weight and worked all the big muscles. The arm sections were by far the hardest part for me- SO. MANY. PUSH-UPS!!! It was good to feel challenged with that! The leg exercises were all things I’ve done before- actually, things I’ve posted videos of here, here, and here! That’s ok, though- still had my legs screaming because we did all of those exercises with booty bands around our ankles. Yikes!

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Once the workout was done, we enjoyed our free cocktail- love gym friends and workout get togethers!

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After, I met RM at City Landing for dinner and drinks. I thought I’d be able to find a shower, but no such luck. Nothing like a little baby-wipe “shower” and running water through the hair to try and look somewhat decent… and clean!

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City Landing has a whole gluten free menu- check out this pizza and Ahi Tuna! Delish!

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Saturday

We got up relatively early for a Saturday and hit the road to head north around 9am. I was afraid of traffic, but the roads were clear the entire time! Sadly, it wasn’t beach weather when we got to Ogunquit, so we grabbed a gluten free breakfast sandwich at Cafe Amore and then walked part of the Marginal Way, which is a gorgeous path along the “cliffs” in Ogunquit.

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So pretty! Once it reached a reasonable time to have our first cocktail, we headed to a favorite: Barnacle Billy’s. RM hadn’t ever been to Ogunquit or Perkins Cove so it was fun to show him around… and introduce him to his first Rum Punch, Billy’s signature cocktail. If you go to Ogunquit, you need to go to Barnacle Billy’s and have one!

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(yes, I realize I’m wearing the same thing as I did Friday night- I promise it was clean!)

The weather finally started to clear and our seats on their upper deck couldn’t have been more perfect! After a few cocktails, we ordered a lobster roll and steamers- holy.yum. Such a delicious lunch!

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On our way home, we stopped in at Shaw’s Ridge for an ice cream and to catch up with Mr. Shaw and Meredith (who, btw, just got engaged!!! So, so, so happy for you and Brandon, Mere!!) and grab an ice cream cone. Mr. Shaw wasn’t there, but it was good to see Mere!

We finally made it to my parents around 4:30… just in time to pick veggies from the garden for dinner (<— love doing that. nothing better!) and start on cocktail hour. We all were responsible for different things and the kitchen was quite busy!

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Dad wanted a lamb, so he did it on the rotisserie- I wasn’t sure I liked lamb but it was delicious! Even cooler? All of the veggies we ate were from our garden or a nearby farm (the corn). There’s just something to be said for the whole “farm to table” way of eating. So fresh and flavorful!

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We finished dad’s 65th bday celebration with a bond fire. It was the most perfect night for one! I think it’s safe to say he had a really great day!

Sunday

After breakfast and some reading, RM and I went on a nice 2 mile stroll. It helped clear my wine headache 😉 By the time we got back, it was getting late to make it to the beach, so we opted for going to our family friend’s pool instead. Poolside, wine in hand, family and friends- can’t get much better than that!

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All in all, it was a really awesome weekend… we were both so sad it had to end! Trips back to MA from ME are always the worst 😦 Luckily I’ll be home for a few nights this weekend!

Questions for you: What did you do this weekend? Have you been to Ogunquit and/or Barnacle Billy’s? Where is your favorite place to get drinks?

Weekending: Red Sox, Massages & Parties

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Hi there! How’s the week? Mine has been good so far- changing up the workouts and taking it a bit easier with them. I know it’s a little late for my weekend recap, but the past one was super fun… and extra long, so let’s recap 😉

Thursday

My company often gives away Red Sox tickets and I was not only available to go to the game on Thursday night, but won the tickets so I COULD go- it was such a fun treat! On top of that, no one else wanted the other 2 tickets so I grabbed those and invited RM’s brother and sister-in-law. They left their son with Nona (RM’s mom) and joined us for the game- so fun! The seats were REALLY good and it couldn’t have been a more perfect night for a game.

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Friday

RM and I bought a Guilt deal for massages at Exhale Spa (my favorite place everrr) so we cashed them in on Friday night.

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If you’re looking for a good place to get a massage, I highly suggest Exhale- everything about the experience is perfect! From the locker rooms, to the waiting areas, to the steam room/sauna to the massage itself (and warm lavender tea bags for your eyes!)… it never disappoints!

We had plans for a BBQ picnic after our massages, but the weather didn’t cooperate so we grabbed a drink at the Living Room before heading home to make turkey burgers…inside… womp.

Saturday

After teaching my kickboxing class, I ran errands and then picked up RM to head north. My friends Nikia and Kyle had their engagement party at their beautiful home in New Hampshire- I always love going up there! The whole afternoon/evening was SO fun. We drank, we ate (a lot of food- her mom is an amazing cook!!), we played games, I went on the 4-wheeler… solid day/party!

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Sunday

Sunday started off with a healthy smoothie before getting some Sunday things done (grocery shopping, picking up, puttering etc.).

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We had RM’s nephew’s 1st birthday party in the afternoon so before I knew it we were heading to Watertown. I made this caprese orzo salad and was quickly reminded of how easy and tasty the dish is. I should’ve made it more often this summer 😦

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The party was really fun! The food was amazing (wouldn’t expect anything less), the company was great and the birthday boy was adorable!

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Sadly, I got a really bad stomach ache by the end of the party, which was likely brought on by all the different kinds of food I ate and the fact that I had 2 parties in one weekend. Party food is great, but too much of it can make me feel icky.

All in all, though- it was a really great weekend!

Questions for you: Have you been to a Red Sox game this summer? Where do you get massages? Do you over-indulge at parties?

Weekending: Italian Cooking Lessons, Birthday Celebrations and Lots Of Patio Time

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Good morning! What a weekend I had- I’m still smiling from it 🙂 Although it started out a little busy, once my parents got here, there was LOTS of relaxing for me. I mentioned it to my parents as we were sitting on my patio and my dad said that the last time I relaxed that much was probably the last time I was with them. I have to say- he’s got a point. If they weren’t here, I would’ve kept myself busy with random things, but since they were here, I pushed aside all of my “to-do’s” and focused on enjoying my time with them. It was perfect timing amidst the craziness of this summer!

Friday Night

My mom’s request for her birthday meal was “something Italian”. My boyfriend’s mom is from Italy (she moved here when she was 19), and I always rave to my parents about her cooking so my mom wanted to see for herself. RM and I went to Waltham on Friday after work and after eating dinner (she made us pork, carrots and a salad), we got busy in the kitchen. I’m not sure if it’s an Italian cooking rule or not, but the first order of business for me was wine… duh 😉

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We made a chicken cacciatore dish and it couldn’t have come out more perfectly. Everyone (even RM, who has his mother’s cooking all the time), was raving about it!

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So lucky to have the chance to get extra cooking lessons. Meatballs are next on the agenda 🙂

Saturday

I headed to Wakefield to teach my first class at PUMPS (went so well!!) and then ran about a million errands to prep for my parents arrival. It’s amazing how much you can get done when you’re on a timeframe 😉 Sue and Al got here around 1:15 and I made a little mixture of things for lunch while we caught up on the patio. Mom and I later went to get pedicures. I had a little treat planned for her: bringing mini bottles of wine to make the experience even better. Everyone around us was pretty jealous!

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Later in the evening, RM joined the Gagnon’s, bearing gifts of wine and flowers for my mom- very sweet!

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Phew- we drank A LOT of wine throughout the evening. It’s so hard not to- family, laughs, great patio weather… they all go hand in hand!

IMG_8364(apparently I missed the red shirt memo…)

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I let my mom relax and I took care of all the prep work- I think she needed to wear the apron as a security blanket to make her feel ok about not helping!

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Although my apartment is small, it was just enough room for the 4 of us (my sister was away).

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Look at that dish! Oh. My. God was it delicious!!! I couldn’t get enough of it. All in all, it was a perfect night!

Sunday

I stayed with RM and let my parents stay at my place (Hotel Monique), so I headed back there on Sunday morning before church. We walked to a nearby church and were amazed that the mass was only 35 minutes! For my fellow Catholic readers, 35 minutes is generally unheard of for a mass! I’m used to at least an hour. Crazy.

RM took us to brunch later and then I spent the rest of the afternoon reading with my parents on the patio. While I was reading, I had thoughts like “oh man. I should be blogging right now. I should be getting ready for the week. etc.”, but instead, I let myself indulge in a new book! It felt really good.

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Have any of you read this?

Once my parents left, RM and I headed back to Waltham to return the pot I borrowed from his mom. Conveniently enough, it was time for Sunday Dinner 😉 We had steak, sausages, salad, rainbow chard and peppers- so delicious, and eating outside again was even better!

We made a quick stop at the driving range before heading back to East Boston (and an ice cream stop… whoops!).

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I was in bed by 9:30 and it was awesome… I can’t remember the time I slept that much and that well. Boy was it needed- I felt like a new woman yesterday!

Questions for you: What was something fun that you did last weekend? Have you ever taken a cooking lesson? What’s a book you’ve read or are reading?

 

Guest Post: No Bake Gluten Free Breakfast Bars

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Hi there! And TGIF! Before I get to the post, I want to send a very special birthday shout out to my mom- I hope you have a wonderful day and I can’t wait to see you and celebrate you tomorrow. Love you so much!

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How has your week been? Have any fun plans this weekend? My week has been quite different than normal in that my company held it’s “All Hands” meeting in Boston (Boston Harbor Hotel- oh, la la!) on Tuesday and Wednesday so I was making my old trek back into the city instead of my new commute to Wakefield. I have to admit: it made me miss working in the city even more than usual! On top of that, Thursday I spent the day in a “new hire training” back in Wakefield. To say this week was a bit of a wash on the work front is an understatement, but it was kind of nice! I’ll take “easy” weeks whenever I can 😉

Tuesday night, we went out on an Odyssey dinner cruise which was a blast!! The food, open bar (wine and beer), conversations and view made for an awesome night.

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As for this weekend, tonight I’m going to RM’s mom’s house to have her teach me how to make authentic Italian sauce. I’m so excited! Tomorrow I’m teaching my FIRST class at my new gym and I have to admit, I’m a little nervous! It’s always kind of scary going into a new gym to teach because you don’t know what they’re used to or if what you planned is too hard or easy. Hopefully it goes well! After that, I have to rush back and get my place ready for my parents to come down. I’m hosting them at “Hotel Monique” for the night and I can’t wait!

But, before all those fun things kick off, I wanted to share a recipe that I think you’ll all enjoy. My friend, Noelle, posted some pictures on Facebook and Instagram and as soon as I saw them, I knew I needed her to guest post the recipe on this ol’ blog. I can’t wait to make them. Thanks again, Noelle, for sharing this!

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Hi everyone! I’m Noelle and I am elbow deep in buttercream frosting and croissants 50 hours a week. I am a pastry chef at Whole Foods in Wellesley, MA where I am busy cake decorating and opening and closing hot ovens… It is an absolute blast! I worked for a gluten free bakery start up business last year after I finished pastry school and learned quite a bit. It was a perfect start to ease me into the baking world, seeing I am gluten free myself (not Celiac, just feel better without it). I learned a few tricks to the difficult world of gluten free baking that I will take along with me. Although gluten free flours can be quite tricky, baking with simple and clean ingredients is what I choose to do at home. This recipe below is a dump-in-a-bowl and call it a day kind of recipe, which will leave you with some pretty satisfying bites. Enjoy!

No Bake Gluten Free Breakfast Bars– Inspired by Two Saucy Sisters

Ingredients:

  • 3 c. gluten free rolled old fashioned oats, divided
  • 2 T chia seeds (or ground flax seed*)
  • 1⁄4 tsp salt
  • 1⁄2 c. chopped raw almonds
  • 1 ripe banana, mashed
  • 1⁄2 c. peanut butter (we used all-natural)
  • 1⁄4 c. honey
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1⁄4 c. chocolate chips, optional (I chopped up Easter chocolate..yikes)

Directions:

1. Grind one cup of the oats in a blender or food processor until it is a fine flour. In a large bowl, combine the ground oats with the remaining 2 cups of whole oats, chia seeds, salt and chopped almonds.

2. In a separate bowl combine the mashed banana, peanut butter, honey and vanilla and stir until it is smooth and fully mixed. Pour the peanut butter banana mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until no dry spots remain. You may add the chocolate chips at this point if you are using them.

3. Line a 9×9 inch square glass dish with wax paper. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of the dish and set in the refrigerator for about 2 hours to firm up. When they are ready, use the edge of the wax paper to gently lift the un-cut bars out of the dish. Cut into 12 bars and store in an air-tight container in the fridge.

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Umm, I’m pretty sure these will be made within the next week or so. I love that there is very little added sugar, which is my goal with baking recipes at this point. I also love that you don’t have to cook anything- perfect for hot, summer days and nights!

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Thank you so much for sharing, Noelle! If you want to see more of her delicious treats, check out her Instagram account- I drool over her posts daily!

Questions for you: Who do you follow on Instagram for food pictures? What’s your favorite gluten free recipe? Do you make granola bars?

Speaking of gluten free… check out this meal that RM made on Monday. Orange Macadamia Nut Encrusted fish… amazing!!

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